You asked, Ken answers ...

I am putting my resume together, and I have some impressive individuals who will provide excellent references for me. I have heard it is not a good idea to put references' names on a resume, but I'm wondering if I should do it because of who they are.

For the most part, your work history is going to say far more about you than any references. If you have impressive references, your job titles and experiences can allude to them, and your resume can indicate that their names are available on request.

Names of references should generally not be provided on a resume. The reason is that you do not want any references called unless a potential employer has met with you and is genuinely interested in offering you a job. When you put references' names on your resume, you open the door for these individuals to receive calls from people who have not established a real interest in hiring you. These calls can be a real nuisance.

However, a resume is actually an advertisement for you, and the objective is to generate sufficient buzz to pique a screener's interest. There can be instances where an applicant's references are so renowned that the mere sight of them sends a chill up the screener's spine. If your references are in this elite category, they could be included, provided that you ask their permission first. If your references do not know that their name is on your resume, they can easily sound like they do not know you.

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